Reed mechanism for self-playing instruments.



No. 891,551. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908.

G. B. KELLY. REED MECHANISM FOR SELF PLAYING INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1906.

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A NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. KELLY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIANCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1908.

Application filed. September 27, 1906. Serial No. 336,431.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. KELLY, citizen of the United States, and aresident of Boston, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Reed Mechanism for Self-Playing Instruments, of whichthe following is a specification.

It has been found advantageous to combine with a reed and the pneumaticconnections for sounding the reed, a percussion device for striking thereed when it is to be sounded.

The present invention provides pneumatic means for accomplishing theproper operation of the percussion device and the operation of the reedvalve for sounding the reed.

The invention also provides two pneumatics positively connected to thepercussion device and to the reed valve for operating them with meansfor alternatively energizing such pneumatics.

The invention further provides means for operating the percussion deviceto vibrate the reed independently of the usual vibration caused by anair current.

Further objects of the invention will appear in the specification andwill be pointed out in the claims.

I will describe my invention as applied to a reed organ operated bypneumatic pressure above that of atmosphere.

The drawing represents diagrammatically and in transverse verticalsection a reed mechanism embodying my invention.

1 designates a pressure chamber, in which is mounted a tracker 2 andsuitable means for moving thereover a perforated music sheet 3. Eachduct 4 in the tracker 2 leads by a passage 5 to a pneumatic diaphragm 6having a stem 7 which is common to it and to valves 8 and 9, whichoperate to alternately open a passage 10 to pressure from a chamber 11or to atmosphere. A leak hole 12 is provided in the passage 5, as shown.

For manually playing the instrument I provide a bank of keys 13operating through rods 14 and 15 and a lever 16 to raise a valve 17located in a pressure chamber 18, which communicates by a assage 19 withthe passage 5 above-namec. It is clear that the depression of a key 13will admit pressure from the chamber 18 to raise the diaphragm 6, withthe result already described.

The passage 10 leads, through a passage 21, to a vertical passage 22,above and communicating with which is a pneumatic bellows 23 having afinger 24. Also connected with the passage 21 is an intermediate bellows25 acting through a stem 26 to move the valves 27, 28, whichalternatively admit pressure from a chamber 29 or atmos heric air to abellows 30 located in the cham er 29 and provided with a finger 31.

The fingers 24 and 31 of the pneumatics 23 and 30 respectively areconnected by a rod 32, which is also connected to a lever 33, at theother end of which is a reed valve 34 operative when raised to exhaustpressure from a reed chest 35, through a passage or reed cell beneathwhich is a reed 36. Also secured to the lever 33 is a rod 37, whichpasses through a wall of the chamber 35 and is connected to a carrier38, on whichis mounted a jack 40 which actuates a hammer 39 for strikingthe reed 36. The escapement of the jack and the regulating screw 41 bywhich the escape is adjusted are so well known as to require noexplanation. It is also understood that the several rods 15, 32 and 37are provided, as usual, with means for the prevention of leakage fromthe pressure chambers into which they lead, and that a well known formof duct cover 42 may be employed to cover the ducts 4 when theinstrument is being manually played.

In a wall of the reed chamber 35 is a passage 43 connected to a windchest or source of air pressure, not shown, and a passage 44 opening toatmosphere. These are closed alternatively by a slide valve 45, whichmay be operated manually or otherwise, as desired.

The operation of the device is as follows: Air being admitted to thepassage 5 either automatically through a perforation in the music sheet3 or manually by depressing a key 13 as described, the valves 8 and 9are raised from the position shown so as to shut oil the passage 10 fromcommunication with the pressure chamber 11 and to permit the exhaustionof the chamber 22 to atmosphere. This acts directly to exhaust thepressure from the bellows 23, and indirectly through the collapse of thebellows and consequent raising of the valves 27 and 28 to positivelycollapse the bellows 30. The collapse of the pneumatic or bellows 3Oacts to raise the reed valve 34, thus sounding the reed 36, and also todepress the jack 38, :whereby the hammer 39 is caused to strike thereed. When the pressure is cut oil from the passage 5 it will exhaustthrough the hole 12 and the diaphragm 6, and valves 8 and 9 willreassume the position shown in the drawing. The positive distention ofthe pneumatic 23 will then act to close the reed valve 3a and thus tostop the vibration of the reed.

In my device the pneumatic 23 takes the place of the usual spring forclosing the reed valve. As the pneumatic 23 becomes neutral when thepressure is exhausted from within it, it o'l'lers no resistance, as doesthe spring, to the action of the actuating pneumatic 30. lVhen againdistended by the movement of the valves 8 and 9, it promptly closes thereed valve and distends the pneumatic 30, the latter then being neutralby reason of the pressure both within the pneumatic itself and in thechamber 29 in which it is placed.

hen it is desired to produce a pizzacato or harp-like eil'ect the valveis moved to the position shown in full lines in the drawing. This cutsoil the pressure from the reed chamber 35 and opens it to atmosphere. Itis evident that in this case the particular bank of reeds representedwill be sounded only by the hammers 39, the valve 34 lifting idly. Thisetlect may be produced during the normal operation of the instrument,the other banks of reeds, not shown, being vibrated by the air pressure,as usual.

hat I claim is:

1. A reed mechanism comprising a reed chest, a reed in said chest, areed valve, a pressure chamber, a pneumatic in said chamber for openingsaid reed valve, and a second pneumatic exterior of said chamber forclosing said reed valve, both said pneumatics being distended exceptwhen the reed valve is closed.

2. A reed mechanism comprising a reed chest, a reed in said chest, areed valve, an actuating pneumatic subject to pressure on its exteriorfor opening said reed valve, a second pneumatic subject to an. interiorpressure for closing said valve, and connections for simultaneouslycollapsing and simultaneously distending them.

3. A reed mechanism comprising a reed chest, a reed in said chest, areed valve, an actuating pneumatic subject to pressure on its exteriorfor opening said reed valve, a second pneumatic subject to interiorpressure for closing said valve, connections for simultaneouslycollapsing and simultaneously distending them, and a pneumaticallyactuated valve for controlling both said pneumatics.

4. A reed mechanism comprising a reed. chest, a reed in said chest, areed valve, a pressure chamber, a pneumatic in said chamber for openingsaid reed valve, a second pneumatic exterior of said chamber for seatingsaid reed valve, a valve for exhausting said first-named pneumatic toatmosphere, an intermediatepneumatic for controlling said last-namedvalve, and means for simultaneously exhausting said reed-seatingpneumatic and said intermediate pneumatic, for the purposes set forth.

5. A reed mechanism comprising a reed chest, a plurality of reeds insaid chest, a valve for each of said reeds, a percussion device in saidchest for each of said reeds, a second wind chest independent of saidreed chest as to pressure, pneumatics connected to said second windchest, one for each of said valves, and positive connections betweeneach of said pneumatics and one of said valves and one of saidpercussion devices for actuating them simultaneously, and means forcutting oil air pressure in said reed chest.

6. In combination, a reed, a reed. valve and percussion device for thereed, two pneumatics connected to the valve and percussion device foractuating them respectively in opposite directions, another pneumatichaving a common pneumatic connection with one of the first saidpneumatics, and valves and connections controlled by the third saidpneumatic for actuating the other of the first said pneumatics.

7. In combination, a reed, a reed valve, a pair of pneumatics connectedto operate the reed valve, a pressure chamber 29 con taining one of thesaid operating pneu matics, a valve-controlled passageway leading to oneof the pneumatics, a third pneumatic connected to the same passagewayand valves and passages controlled thereby for controlling the other ofsaid operating pneumatics.

8. In combination, a reed, a reed valve, a

pair of pneumatics connected to operate the reed valve, a pressurechamber 29 containing one of the said operating pneumatics, a

valve-controlled passage leading to and con-.

chest and connected to operate the said reed In testimony whereof I havesigned this valve and the said percussion device, a pneuspecification inthe presence of two sub- 10 lnatic exterior to the said chests and alsoscribing Witnesses. connected to operate the reed valve and per- 5cussion device, valves and passages for actuating or controlling thesaid pneumaties Witnesses: and a valve for controlling the admission ofA. W. SPENGE, Wind to the reed chest. D. C. HEIRS.

GEORGE B. KELLY.

